The Thinnest Ice
by BedBrain
Summary: 365 days have passed since the rocket failed take off and Eddie is adjusting to his new life. He's starting to find a routine alongside Venom's needs when a new evil has begun to arise. They have a body count and want nothing but Eddie added to the list... but they are clueless about Eddie's other half. (Slow Build)
1. Coffee

Head of rat leaves fur between teeth.

Head of fish sticks scales to tongue.

Head of human creates a euphoria between Heaven and Hell, so good to enjoy yet overbearing to resist. Where life continues, another goes. It builds peace where once a painful urge in the gut created panic.

They step back on only two feet, frozen while a body crumples to a twitching mass on cold pavement. They stand alone while five others kiss the ground, as if praying to the rigid figure before them.

"May we go now?"

 **"Perhaps..."**

"Then why the delay?"

 **"We see meat."**

"You see their dog."

A bulky dog snaps from on a heavy chain, the other end attached to the townhouse.

 **"Yes, and your point is?"**

"I like dogs."

 **"We like dogs."**

"Does that mean you'll refrain from eating it?"

 **"WE will refrain."**

"I'm not the one who enjoys eating dogs."

 **"Then what was it we had last night?"**

"Beef."

 **"We like beef."**

"No, Venom, you don't."

 **"You're right. I hate it. It's dead. Have something else to eat."**

A low sigh and the lone figure strolls from the alley and into white streetlight.

The transition has been rather easy since that day with Riot and Carlton Drake. After the chaos wrapped itself up in a nifty explosion, one to rival a firework factory going off, the two of them have been on vacation. Sort of. They can focus on their symbiosis and maybe, just maybe, finding a job for Eddie.

On the walk home, a certain voice in Eddie's ear inspires confidence.

 **"You could be a newscaster again, Eddie. Find more bad men and make them disappear."**

Eddie almost laughs. It's a dry motion inspired by Venom's clear motive here. "You mean bite their heads off."

 **"Yes."**

"We'll talk about it later."

 **"When will this 'later' be, Eddie?"**

"Later."

* * *

Leaves are raked back into tall pyramids of orange and red. The rake being used is broken in three places and electrically taped in the middle. It may have been broken in half due to an accident long ago.

The cool breezes blows through the line of small maples, the trees casting shadows on the empty neighborhood road. The cement is cracked and grass is growing through. At least for now, until the nightly frost will kill it.

The rake is left against a white siding wall.

A woman moves for the sidewalk, green headphones popped in. A jazzy, electronic remix fills her ears, making her walk embarrassing to anyone who sees her.

But she doesn't care.

All she cares about is getting to her new job and experiencing something new. It's a coffee shop on the corner of a busy intersection. The energy and drive she feels in her bones begs for motion and, in such a place, she'll be more than busy.

So excited, in fact, that the leaves swishing up behind her are charred black.


	2. Hot Chocolate

"One, extra large hot chocolate with extra cream, please... and a double chocolate dip donut."

"Coming right up!"

As a fresh, well spirited employee heads down the counter to make the drink, another employee watches her with a wary eye.

"Here you go, Sir," the woman returns with the seven inch tall cup, steam still rising out the top.

"My donut?"

"Oh, my bad." Embarrassed, she plucks the freshest one for him.

After he leaves, the seasoned worker comes up behind the oblivious blonde. "Ira, he gets the same order every day at the same time. You see him coming, you make it, you hear?"

The woman turns with a pleasant smile in place. "Sorry, Matilda. It's my first day, so I have a lot to learn."

Matilda, the manager, squints back at her. "Yes, you do."

After Matilda steps away, Ira's smile remains.

* * *

 **"Someone new."** Venom mentions what Eddie is thinking.

Eddie noticed it too. The woman working the counter was not familiar. "Guess they need extra hands... So where should we start?" Eddie sips his drink, cringing at the sweetness. "We have four places to check... Want to start with receptionist?" He checks his phone again for the address while he feels Venom contemplate.

"What is a receptionist?"

"It's when you take calls and greet people."

"That's a job?"

Eddie has to chuckle at Venom's disgust. "Yes, Venom, it is, and if I don't get one soon, we'll have to get a small hot chocolate next time instead of a large."

"Extra large."

"Receptionist it is."

A half hour later on a hard leather seat and Eddie is considering walking out. The man across from him is clearly impressed by his resume, but keeps asking why he 'left his last job'. Why must he experience such embarrassment everywhere he goes?

"I wanted a change," he digs out of his bag of recycled lies. "Los Angeles is a better feel for me."

The man adjusts his glasses. "And what have you been doing for the last year you've been in Los Angeles?"

Eddie's smile twitches. "I was a journalist. I hosted _The Eddie Brock Report._ "

The man squints ever more. "Any reason for this change?"

Eddie pauses. "I needed a break."

"So... another change?"

"Yes."

"I see."

"Well, that failed horrendously." Eddie runs a hand over his face once he's outside. At least the weather is cool, enjoyable enough he can be at ease.

 **"I like this. It's cold out,"** says Venom.

"Yeah, buddy, it is." Eddie looks up at the grey sky. He silently prays it won't be a movie moment where the first snowflake lands on his nose.

A snowflake lands on his shoulder.

Shit.

* * *

"Wow!" It's beautiful outside, everything covered in a white sheet.

Cars honk through the heavy traffic while Ira takes the crosswalk, headphones in for the second time today. Here, she feels the warm glow of headlights on her cheek, her shadows stretched out on the pavement.

"Oh, excuse me," she darts around a man on the crosswalk.

* * *

Once home, Eddie collapses on the couch. Today had been long, and he's quite sure at least one of those interviewing him put him on a blacklist. AKA never hire this man under any circumstances.

 **"Shouldn't have mentioned why you lost your job."**

Eddie sighs into the cushion. "Not like it was the whole truth."

He's not used to lying. In his job, he wanted to do anything but lie like everyone else. He found out the whole truth and would expose it for everyone to see. Although, when it comes to his own life and the truths behind it, he finds himself stumbling.

 **"Try tomorrow, Eddie."**

"Thanks, Venom."

As his eyes slide shut, he feels the comforting hold of Venom around him.

Tomorrow.


	3. Tea

The tv buzzes idly behind Eddie while he makes his morning coffee. He's half asleep, but Venom certainly isn't. The symbiote, rather curious, stretches himself off Eddie's shoulder so he can peer around the corner.

 _"We have reports this morning of a homicide off Charleston and Wilma Drive. The body had been dismembered and hung outside the home. It's a grisly scene and we're unable to disclose images..."_

 **"Pussies,"** Venom mutters.

"What was that?" Eddie looks back with a mug in hand. He rounds the corner to watch the tv screen, wondering what's caught Venom's attention.

 **"Murder, Eddie. They're talking about murder."**

Eddie takes a deep breath and sits down on the couch, only now noticing he's missing a sock. No wonder his one foot is so cold...

 **"Eddie, are you paying attention to me?"**

"I am, but I can't focus on these things."

 **"Why not? Your own kind is killing itself."**

He takes a moment to watch the tv and see what's going on. Looks like another murder in the downtown area involving torn limbs and the hanging of the pieces. Rather nasty stuff when they talk about it, and right before Halloween. "Bet the kids thought they were just ornaments..." He sips his coffee. Too bitter.

Venom appears to glare at him, catching Eddie's eye.

"What?"

 **"You don't care."** It isn't a question. It's a statement.

"I do so," he argues back.

 **"Is murder that common?"**

"Yeah... it is. Venom, you get used to it. There are so many people here, there, and everywhere that eventually someone gets sick of another's shit and stabs them over it."

 **"Or cuts them into itty bitty pieces."**

"That... is extra creepy when you say it like that, but yes, itty bitty pieces."

Venom doesn't say anything. He stretches himself across the room till the tv reflects in his wide, milky eyes. **"Bad guy."**

Eddie doesn't have to ask to know what Venom means.

* * *

"I can't wait for tonight," Matilda beams, her friend having come visit her at work.

It's a guy, an attractive one at that, and Ira finds herself watching him from the corner of one eye. He is leaning in close to Matilda, but he glances over the woman's shoulder to Ira once in a while. Is it by accident... or on purpose?

Ira smiles back, eyes closed from embarrassment.

Matilda pauses in her Halloween rambling. She glances between her friend and Ira and, in moments, has him pushed to the door. "I'll see you later, Lucius. Don't forget your costume."

Ira is cleaning the counter when Matilda approaches from the other side. Looking up, she smiles. "Hey, Mat-"

"Don't start."

Ira squeezes the cloth she holds. "Pardon?"

"You were playing the googly eyes with my man."

"He's yours? Didn't look like it."

Matilda's breath catches in her throat at how calmly Ira says that. "Well, don't be like that again, you hear me?"

"Sure."

* * *

"This is it," Eddie walks by from the far side of the street.

 **"Let's get closer."**

"We can't."

 **"Because of the officers all over the place."**

"Bingo."

 **"So how do we find anything?"**

He inspects the area and crosses the road, hood pulled up. The closer he gets, the more nervous Eddie becomes. It's a good kind of nervous, one to help guide him around the police vans and patrolling eyes.

Eddie pauses when he hears voices by the front door.

"When can we head out?"

"Whenever the Detective finds something good, I guess. He's been in there for hours. The guy doesn't eat or sleep."

Eddie watches from behind a van as the officers head off behind the house. He slips forward and to the side where there's no flood lights.

 **"Need a boost?"**

He sees the open window at the same time Venom speaks to him. "If you don't mind."

 **"Of course not."**

In seconds, Eddie is propped up into the window, knowing instantly why it was left open - It smells.

" **Like corpse."**

"Yeah..." Eddie crouches down on the floor, his sneakers accommodating for sound absorption. "Let's find a clue and get out before you get me in trouble."

 **"Then stop talking. It won't help. Oh... What's that?"**

Eddie's body is shrugged halfheartedly to the side, Venom making him look at the wall. "Wow..."

Blood, making a cross like symbol across the flowery wallpaper.

 **"Find more. Not enough."**

They head deeper into the home, careful of the creaky floorboards. At the back of the home, a man stands there, facing the wall.

 **"This must be the detective they mentioned."**

Eddie only peers in, but it's just a regular bedroom. No blood or bodies or weird notes describing the killer anywhere... but why would the detective be in here? And for hours? Why?

Smoke billows from the man's face. He's smoking indoors. Classy.

Eddie peeks in a green painted bathroom with pink carpeting. On the floor is what looks like-

 **"Eddie... it looks like me."**

Eddie reaches out to touch the black mass. It's hardened up after being left for so long. It's dead.

Tiny, black tendrils curl around Eddie's fingers till they reach the mass. Almost hesitantly, Venom touches it.

 **"DEAD."**

Eddie cringes, backing up from the room and into the hall... and bumps into a table. He tries to stop the vase before it hits the ground-

 **"I got it!"** Venom places the vase where it belongs, just in time for the detective to step out from the bedroom and face them.

Eddie doesn't waste time on whipping around an using Venom to hop out the window effortlessly. They climb up the neighboring home and hide behind a chimney two blocks down. After they're sure they aren't being followed, Eddie slumps down on the cement rooftop.

 **"Did you see it, Eddie? Did you?"**

"Yes."

 **"WHAT HAPPENED?"**

"I don't know, but we'll find out, big guy. We'll find out."


End file.
